Japan, island nation in East Asia,
located in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of the
Asian continent. Japan comprises the four main islands
of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, in addition
to numerous smaller islands. The Japanese call their country
Nihon or Nippon, which means “origin of the sun.” The
name arose from Japan's position east of the great Chinese
empires that held sway over Asia throughout most of its
history. Japan is sometimes referred to in English as
the “land of the rising sun.” Tokyo is the country's capital
and largest city.
Mountains dominate Japan's landscape,
covering 75 to 80 percent of the country. Historically,
the mountains were barriers to transportation, hindering
national integration and limiting the economic development
of isolated areas. However, with the development of tunnels,
bridges, and air transportation in the modern era, the
mountains are no longer formidable barriers. The Japanese
have long celebrated the beauty of their mountains in
art and literature, and today many mountain areas are
preserved in national parks.
Most of Japan's people live
on plains and lowlands found mainly along the lower courses
of the country's major rivers, on the lowest slopes of
mountain ranges, and along the sea coast. This concentration
of people makes Japan one of the world's most crowded
countries. Densities are especially high in the urban
corridor between Tokyo and Kobe, where 45 percent of the
country's population is packed into only 17 percent of
its land area. An ethnically and culturally homogeneous
nation, Japan has only a few small minority groups and
just one major language–Japanese. The dominant religions
are Buddhism and Shinto (a religion that originated in
Japan). -- quoted from encata.msn.com
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